360 Destination Group and CSI to Merge – More Deals Could Follow

Destination management companies 360 Destination Group (360DG) and CSI DMC are merging, but will continue operating as separate entities, with plans to unify under a single brand before year’s end. There may be more deals to follow.

Together, the two have revenue of $200 million and 360 employees. They now have operations in 46 U.S. destinations.

According to the 2024 DMC rankings by Special Events, 360DG’s estimated 2023 revenue was $75 million. The company managed approximately 750 events. CSI DMC had revenues of $86 million and managed 700 programs in 2023 (the last time they were part of the Special Events ranking).

The merger underscores Wall Street's growing interest in the business events industry. “This deal once again proves the value of our industry and the valuable service we provide. We have caught the attention of investment firms,” said Kate Patay, VP of global engagement of Terramar, a DMC with offices in the U.S. and Mexico.

The merger was facilitated by Objective Investment Banking & Valuation for 369DG and Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips for CSI.

Are More Deals on the Horizon?

Channing Hamlet, managing director and co-founder of Objective, Investment Banking & Valuation, predicts more consolidation to follow.

“Customers prefer to work with larger organizations where they can create a long-term relationship rather than having to pick a new partner to work with every time they go to a different location,” said Hamlet.

In addition, more DMCs may expand their offerings. “You may see DMCs start to consolidate other services, whether it's transportation, speakers, or entertainment. So they can more fully integrate that into the solution they provide.”

Helping 360DG put this deal together taught Hamlet a lot about DMCs. “The thing that was most surprising to me as I got into this was how complex it is to put together a good high-quality event for a large group. The back-end systems for tracking, coordination, and organization of so many different things all must come together at the same place in time to make an event go.”